Details:

Relations of adult attachment using the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System, maltreatment history, depression, and childhood behaviour problems in a very high-risk sample

Author

Meisner, Jacqueline Marie Phyllis

Call Number

LE3 .A278 2017

Date

2017

Supervisor

Symons, Doug

Degree Grantor

Acadia University

Degree Name

Master of Science

Degree Level

Masters

Discipline

Clinical Psychology

Affiliation

Psychology

Abstract

Research has examined relations between adult attachment, history of childhood maltreatment, depression, and child behaviour problems. This study examines these relations in a very high-risk cohort of 22 parents and their 2- to 7-year old children. Adult attachment classifications were examined using the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP), which is a relatively new measure argued to be sensitive to relationship trauma that classifies adult attachment. In this study, no parents were classified as secure, five as preoccupied, four as dismissing, and 13 as unresolved. In addition, parents reported on their own history of childhood maltreatment, depression, and offspring childhood behaviour problems. A risk model approach was used with clinical cutoffs identifying the presence or absence of problems, and cumulative maltreatment calculated as the number of areas of maltreatment scored above cutoff. Results were that adult attachment classifications differed significantly in cumulative maltreatment history, with dismissive parents reporting low levels of maltreatment and preoccupied parents reporting the highest levels. However, contrary to predictions, there was no significant difference between attachment groups in either depression severity nor childhood behaviour problems. The results therefore suggest that even in a small sample, preoccupied and unresolved attachment classifications are related to a maltreatment history compounded by significant levels of depression in some cases, but dismissing attachment is associated with low levels of these risk factors. Investigating these factors in a high-risk sample highlights the very high level of risk in these parents in terms of unresolved attachment, maltreatment history, and depression, and supports propositions that the AAP is very sensitive to trauma history.

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